


Idris Weekly: The Millionaire Murder

by JustYourAverageNerd, TimeToTravel



Category: The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attorney! Charles Fairchild, Attorney! Thomas Lightwood, Belial Murdered, Dead! Belial, Detective! Jesse Blackthorn, Forensic Scientist! Christopher Lightwood, Journalist! Lucie Herondale, Judge! Charlotte Fairchild, Matthew and Alastair Suspected of Killing, Mild Description Of Injury, Multi, Murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:08:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24898957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustYourAverageNerd/pseuds/JustYourAverageNerd, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimeToTravel/pseuds/TimeToTravel
Summary: On the morning of October 19, 2019, tech millionaire, Belial Sheol was found dead in his rooftop penthouse, seemingly having been stabbed to death. Forensic scientist Christopher Lightwood analyzed the DNA found at the scene of the crime, leading the main suspects to be Alastair Carstairs and Matthew Fairchild. Lead detective, Jesse Blackthorn, has made a statement at last stating that, “Though an unexpected turn of events, the suspects have likely committed this murder due to suspicion against Mr Sheol for the disappearance of James Herondale and Cordelia Carstairs previously in the year.”Lucie Herondale was curious about this case, and once having begged her supervisors, she was able to shadow the case as it unfolded, documenting it in a series of articles for Idris Weekly. The following is a memoir of the events as they occurred in time, though the final solution may leave you wishing for more. Read at your own risk.
Relationships: Alastair Carstairs/Thomas Lightwood, Cordelia Carstairs/James Herondale (briefly mentioned), Jesse Blackthorn/Lucie Herondale
Kudos: 37





	Idris Weekly: The Millionaire Murder

#  Idris Weekly 

###  The Millionaire Murder: October 23, 2019 

  
By Lucie Herondale  
Journalist  


  
  


Greetings, Shadowhunters! As most of you are aware, a new murder has taken place in our lovely city of Idris, filling the papers with news of it. After pulling a few strings with the Alicante Police Service, I have been given the ability to follow this case as it unfolds. For the next few weeks I’ll be keeping you updated on the case of the ‘Millionaire Murder’, and the many twists that are likely to come along with it. Of course, before we begin, we must first delve into the facts as we know them to be now. 

On October 19, 2019 at 10am, tech millionaire, Belial Sheol was found bleeding to death on his rooftop penthouse. what appeared to be a stab wound was located on the left side of his body, piercing his left ventricle. Though his brother and business partner, Asmodeus Sheol, found him barely alive, but still breathing, the lead surgeon on the case, James ’Jem’ Carstairs claimed he was, “Dead before emergency services arrived.“ Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything they could have done to save him, he’d already lost too much blood and his oxygen levels had been falling rapidly. Not a minute had passed before Belial Sheol was officially declared dead, leaving many shocked at his sudden demise, including his 8 brothers.

Found at the scene of the crime were a single strand of dyed blonde hair, and a silver flask half emptied. Forensic scientist Christopher Lightwood analyzed the DNA found on both items, leading the main suspects of the crime to be Alastair Carstairs and Matthew Fairchild. Detective Blackthorn has made a statement at last stating that, “Though an unexpected turn of events, the suspects have likely committed this murder due to suspicion against Mr Sheol for the disappearance of James Herondale and Cordelia Carstairs previously in the year.” As most of the readers likely know, my brother and best friend have recently gotten engaged after escaping their captor who they claim to be Belial. Due to this disappearance and the suspects’ relation to the victims, Mr. Carstairs and Mr. Fairchild are the most likely to have played a part in the murder of Belial Sheol. 

The defendant, Thomas Lightwood has refused to comment on his stand in this case, although prosecutor Charles Fairchild has made a statement earlier this morning stating, “I truly believe Mr. Sheol’s murder falls into the hands of the two suspects and am perpared to defend my stand on this.” It appears as though Fairchild refuses to directly state anything regarding his relationship with one of the suspects, leading me to believe that there is some resentment between the Fairchild siblings. 

Regardless of this split between her children, Judge Charlotte Fairchild has claimed she’ll, “be as unbiased as [she] possibly can.” Already this case seems to contain many twisted connections, and I hope to capture any shifts in this case through weekly updates on this platform. 

~*^*~

Lucie Herondale leaned back on the chair she was seated at, gazing critically at the work she had just posted for Idris Weekly’s newest column on crime in the area. The APS had generously allowed Lucie to be on site to report any new occurrences within this specific case, even going as far as offering her an office. Granted, the office was rather cramped and gathering dust, but it was something, and Lucie could appreciate the effort. The pen she was tapping absentmindedly on the desk rose to her face, slightly knocking into her teeth before settling on her bottom lip. A knock pulled Lucie out of her thoughts causing her to jump slightly, the pen clattering on the desk. 

Lucie looked upwards to face a tall man adorning a suit along with a badge clipped to his side standing beside the door. Light from the mid afternoon sun spilled into the room, reflecting off the man’s soft green eyes. Lucie rose from her chair, moving forward until she faced him. 

“Detective Blackthorn, I presume,” she held out her hand, smiling cheerily. 

Jesse grasped her hand, shaking it firmly before smiling, though it seemed rather weary. Lucie guessed it was partly due to the case, though there was something else lurking just beneath the surface, something she couldn’t quite figure out. From the looks of it, Lucie assumed it was likely a familial issue, but she ignored that and elected to focus on the present instead. Besides, there’d be more time for analyzing characters later. “Miss Herondale, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I hope you find the office accommodating, we were unfortunately unable to find anything more suiting at the moment.”

“The office is quite alright! Thank you for allowing me to follow this case, I’m sure my readers and I will thoroughly appreciate this opportunity. I find this to be a rather intriguing case.” Jesse's face faltered a bit, as though he was already deep in thought, and Lucie quickly moved to reassure him. “I’m sure I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about me partaking in this case.” The following sentence seemed to help a bit, pulling him back into the present. 

“I’m sorry for asking such an intrusive question, but might I ask why you chose this case in particular?” Jesse looked calm, though Lucie could tell by his persistent foot tapping that he was nervous. 

Lucie simply smiled, having expected this question. Of course it would seem odd, Lucie Herondale sister to Matthew Fairchild’s best friend and best friend to Alastair Carstairs’ sister following a case in which both parties were suspected of murder. But Lucie was an open book and the question was no problem, and she explained as such to the detective. “I only want to help document this case as it is a curious one, not to intrude in any of the actual investigation,” she raised her hands forming a sort of half shrug, a smile on her face. “And not to worry! I’ll keep all bias out of my recounting of the story as the case unfolds.” Lucie dropped her arms to her side, her eyes glimmering in the light coming in from the small window to her right. “After all, Journalism 101, ‘ present the facts whether or not you like or agree with them’, so I do have to remain neutral during all of this.” 

Relief washed over Jesse’s face. “Thank you, Miss Herondale.” Jesse turned on his foot before stopping half way, turning back to face Lucie. “Later this evening, at 7, we will be questioning the suspects, I hope to see you there.” With that, he pivoted completely, disappearing down into the hall. 

Lucie headed back to her chair, collapsing onto it and grabbing her pen once again. It wouldn’t be time for the questioning until a few more hours, and so, she waited. 

~*^*~

“MATTHEW BUFORD FAIRCHILD, YOU HAVE QUITE A BIT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!”

Thomas Lightwood was furious, to say the least. In the past 2 years of his career, he hadn’t experienced this much fury. In fact, Thomas doubted he’d felt this much fury in his entire life. His best friend had likely committed  _ first degree murder  _ and  _ was currently handcuffed to a chair _ , so he felt like this was a rather understandable response. 

The voice of said best friend reached Thomas’ ears. “Wow, Tom, I didn’t know you had it in you. Now, I don’t know whether to applaud you for your new fangled fury, or be offended that you’d think  _ Buford _ would be my middle name. I mean, honestly! A person as fabulous as myself would never have such a dull name.” Ah, there he was, the fuel to Thomas’ fury, his best friend since primary school, Matthew Fairchild in the flesh, his feet propped up on the metal table with a lazy smile hiding worry of his own.

Another voice interrupted Thomas, deeper this time, and far more concerned than Math’s, though it was bordering on sarcastic. “Don’t be daft, Fairchild, we’re still suspects of a murder if you hadn’t noticed. I hardly think a mistaken middle name should be the greatest of your worries.” On second thought, it was heavily sarcastic, though there was concern in the voice as well. Thomas presumed that to be Alastair Carstairs, the other suspect in the case. 

Thomas let out a sigh, taking a seat beside the suspects. “Regardless of any middle name confusion, I would like to take a moment to discuss this case.” He paused, taking a moment to think before remembering he had forgotten to introduce himself in the midst of his fury. “I’m sorry to not have introduced myself before, but I’m Thomas Lightwood, your defence attorney for the duration of this case.” 

“ _ Thomas Lightwood? _ ” 

Thomas turned to face Mr Carstairs who appeared to be going through a plethora of emotions; shock, confusion, recognition. Now that he thought about it, Thomas himself could recognize Alastair Carstairs. They had gone to the same secondary school, and though Alastair wasn’t particularly inviting towards him or any of his friends, Thomas had had a certain admiration for him at the time. And by the sick feeling he had, Thomas wasn’t sure that admiration had ever gone away, adding to his shock to Alastair ending up a suspect in a murder trial. 

Before he could say anything, Alastair beat him to it, stating, “Dear god, Lightwood, you’ve become gigantic.” Matthew attempted to suppress a chuckle before giving in, letting out a bout of laughter. 

“It’s been nearly a decade since you’ve seen him, and  _ that’s _ the first thing you say? And to think you’re the one who told me to be more serious about, you know, the fact that we are literally suspected of murder!” Matthew tried to frame those words as light heartedly as possible, though he just barely missed the mark. If Thomas had been paying attention at that moment, he would have noticed the darkness bittering Matthew’s tone, as though he believed he deserved to be prosecuted. As though he had already given up. 

Unfortunately, Thomas ignored Math, still dumbfounded that  _ Alastair Carstairs _ could be charged with homicide. “What are you doing in prison?”

That seemed to bring Alastair back to reality, his face darkening. “I’m suspected of the murder of Belial Sheol, Mr. Lightwood. I thought that part would be obvious enough.” He leaned back in the metal chair, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. The other, of course, had been cuffed to the edge of the table in order to avoid any of the suspects from running away.

Thomas shifted in his seat, clearing his throat before continuing. “Now, as I stated before, I will be your defence attorney, so I need to know the facts before I form my argument. The evidence against the both of you is pretty damning, you have motive, DNA evidence you were present at the scene of the crime, and both of you had time to plan the killing.” Thomas tapped his foot anxiously. “Now, is there any reason I should believe you two committed this crime? It won’t change my stance on this case and I will try to avoid bias as much as possible, but as your lawyer, I need to know.” 

Alastair gravely shook his head, electing to say nothing else, while Matthew’s face darkened, a manic, almost self loathing smile spreading on his face. 

“I have done many awful things in my life, Tom, but I did not murder Belial Sheol.” Matthew crossed his arms, leaning back into his chair. His voice was cold, chilling almost. It was dark, and it seemed as though Matthew truly believed he was a horrible person. 

To everyone’s surprise, Thomas said three words he hadn’t thought he’d utter when he’d walked into the room.

“I believe you.” 

And he did, he truly did. At that moment, there was no doubt in Thomas’ mind that Alastair Carstairs and Matthew Fairchild were innocent. Thomas would make sure that everyone else saw that as well. He cleared his throat, cutting through the tension filling the room. “Anyway, do you have any alibi presenting you to be elsewhere on October 19, 2019 from 9-11am?”

Alastair seemed to know the answer already, claiming that he had, “Been helping his mother take care of his younger brother,” though Matthew seemed to ponder for far longer. 

At last, his face brightened as he slammed a palm on the table. “I was at a therapy appointment with Anna Lightwood from 8-11 that day.” 

Thomas nodded, grabbing a pad of paper and a pen before scribbling something down. “This is a good start. The trial will still likely be very difficult to win, but this is a good start.” 

~*^*~

Matthew Fairchild didn’t believe he deserved Thomas’ faith in him. He didn’t believe Detective Blackthorn’s look of shock over the growing, yet still miniscule pile of proof it wasn’t Alastair or Matthew who committed the crime. He didn’t believe Lucie’s face shifting into a concerned glance at the two suspects. Matthew didn’t believe he was innocent, nor did he believe Belial didn’t deserve everything that had occurred to him. 

_ The murder of Belial Sheol _ , Matthew almost laughed. That bastard had it coming for him. But then again, so did Matthew. They both deserved to burn in the deepest depths of hell. 

Alastair, throughout all of this, seemed to surprise Matthew though. Matthew could understand why Belial would frame him, Matthew had a burning rage for him, but he didn’t know what Alastair had done to be framed by Belial as well. He almost laughed at the irony. Matthew and Alastair, two people who hated each other to death both pissing off the same tech millionaire enough to be framed of his murder. 

Matthew was fairly certain of Alastair’s innocence in all this, though he himself wasn’t, and Belial wasn’t either. For Belial had handed Matthew poison. For he had told Matthew to give it to his mother. For Belial had killed Matilda Fairchild. 

And so had Matthew. 

~*^*~

Two days later, Jesse had swung by Lucie’s office once again, poking his head into the room. Lucie put up her index finger, furiously typing up part of what happened at the questioning. She ended the sentence, throwing her hands up in victory, before looking up to face Jesse at last. She, of course, looked a mess. Her hair was haphazardly clipped together in the back while the fringe was clipped atop her head, and a pen was dangling from her mouth, leaving her looking rather unkempt. 

Lucie could see Jesse smiling, clearly amused at her horrid decision to look like a knockoff Chewbacca in an effort to write an exciting article. And to think Lucie thought she wouldn’t be interrupted at least until a couple days passed. 

With a quick move of her hands, she undoed the clip binding her fringe (it looked like a type of horrendous bow), and dropped the pen from her mouth causing it to clatter on the wood. Lucie stood from the desk, facing Jesse. “Yes, Detective Blackthorn?” 

Jesse stepped into the office,and his smile quickly disappeared while he filled her in on more information about the case. He seemed far more tired, Lucie noticed, the bags under his eyes growing more prominent. “As you are aware, the suspect Mr. Fairchild claimed he had been at his therapist’s office during the time of the murder. Considering said therapist, Anna Lightwood, was also seeing Mr. Sheol himself, I have called her to schedule a meeting to ask her a couple questions which she has graciously agreed to. The meeting is set for the day after tomorrow at 3 in the afternoon. I hope to see you there.”

Lucie nodded energetically, the idea of progressing in this case even farther seemed thrilling. “I’ll be there.” 

The meeting with Anna couldn’t have arrived sooner, time flying until the day arrived. Jesse and Lucie sat in the immaculate waiting room, absentmindedly twiddling their thumbs before Jesse finally broke the silence. 

“So, what got you into journalism?” He turned to smile at her startled expression. “Yes, I know it’s a rather dull question, but it’s better than doing nothing.” 

Lucie smiled a blinding grin, excitement bubbling at the prospect of breaking the silence. “I’m so glad you asked that, the silence was absolutely dreadful. Anyway, I guess I always knew I’d want to get a career in the writing field, though what really convinced me was a story I wrote about an Edwardian ghost haunting a mansion, only to be seen by the last of his family, until he attempts to escape from the horrors his mother holds in within the chambers.” 

Jesse let out a laugh laced with a sinister undertone. “That sounds familiar.” 

“If you don’t mind me asking, what do you mean by that?” Lucie tilted her head inquisitively. She’d already assumed there was some family issue, but she hadn’t thought it to be so bad as to lead to him running away. 

“I ran away from my own home when I was 17, my mum had done too many awful things to far too many people, and I’d had it.” He stated those words calmly, as though he had come to terms with this a long time ago. It was oddly chilling, the way he’d said it, devoid of any emotion. “I had to leave and dear old mum blamed the Herondales, Fairchilds, and Carstairs for assisting me, your father being one of them, I believe. I haven’t heard from her since.“ 

Now that he’d said it, it had seemed painfully obvious to Lucie. It was no wonder Jesse had let Lucie shadow the case without much convincing, no wonder that it had seemed so easy to be around him. Lucie Herondale had met Jesse Blackthorn before, more than half a decade ago in the forest outside her family home. She’d met him while wandering the halls of her house, recalled her papa telling her there was a visitor for the time being, being friends with him before he left for university. She was 15, bordering 16 then. 

“You’re the boy from the forest?!” she blurted out, the words tumbling from her mouth. Before Jesse could respond, a person cleared their throat. Lucie turned to face Anna Lightwood, leaning against the door frame with an amused expression and gleaming eyes. 

“Would you like to come in?” 

~*^*~

#  Idris Weekly 

###  The Millionaire Murder: October 30, 2019 

  
By Lucie Herondale  
Journalist  


  
  


Greetings, Shadowhunters! As most of you know, I’ve had the privilege to follow ‘The Millionaire Murder’ and am giving weekly updates on any new information that arises throughout the duration of this case. Now, if you are unaware of background of this murder, I suggest you read my previous article on it [here](https://i.postimg.cc/wvJ4KSC4/Screen-Shot-2020-06-24-at-3-31-06-PM.png) where I highlight important information pertaining to the case. 

This past week, many events have occurred uncovering even more twists in an already convoluted case. To begin, I attended the questioning of the witnesses on October 23, 2019 where the suspects released their alibis, Mr. Carstairs claiming to have been with his parents watching his youngest brother, and Mr. Fairchild claiming to have been at a therapy appointment. Both alibis have been claimed valid by the lead detective, Jesse Blackthorn, as well as forensic scientist Christopher Lightwood. 

During this questioning it was also revealed that, while both parties had motive, many people around them reported both suspects as unlikely to have committed the murder as it didn’t seem, “in character for both parties.” Needless to say, both Mr. Fairchild and Mr. Carstairs have claimed they aren’t guilty of Belial Sheol’s murder, Mr. Fairchild even went as far to say, “Honestly! Do you truly believe I’d work with Alastair, Alastair of all people, to commit homicide with!” The animosity between the two also leads me to doubt that the two suspects could have collaborated on anything. 

Even with the physical evidence at the crime scene, the interaction of the suspects have led many to the conclusion that it is likely to have been a set up. I am not the only one to have come to believe this. Defense attorney Thomas Lightwood has come to a similar conclusion, stating, “I was hesitant on what to believe at first, but I can now say that I truly believe my clients to be innocent and am passionate in my stance defending them.”

Along with myself and defendant Lightwood, a conversation with Mr. Fairchild and Mr. Sheol’s therapist on October 26th led to a rather surprising discovery. According to the therapist, “Due to patient confidentiality, there isn’t much I can say on this topic, though the evidence you have gathered thus far has given me a rough idea for what might have occurred that morning on October 19, and what I can tell you, I will.” The therapist then went on to giving us a rather large clue, that Belial Sheol himself had committed a crime nearly two decades ago that had been quickly covered up by his brothers and his legal team. This shocking turn of events has led people to believe a victim of this crime could be the true suspect of the murder of Belial Sheol. 

As this story gets more intense, I will try to keep you guys updated with any new developments next week. The initial hearing for Mr. Carstairs and Mr. Fairchild will be held in less than two days time, and I will be filling you in on all the details next Wednesday. 

~*^*~

Lucie stared at her laptop on the desk, pen tapping rhythmically beside the keyboard. Lucie spun around in her chair once, catching herself by gripping the desk’s edge before it continued to spiral uncontrollably. She looked up from the wood grain to find Jesse standing by the door. He took that as an invitation, taking a seat atop the desk. Ever since they’d been to Anna’s office, Jesse had been visiting Lucie far more often. It was rather nice, and Lucie really did enjoy it. 

She craned her neck to look the detective in the eye. Lucie hadn’t been able to tell from his position at the door, but she could now see how truly exhausted Jesse was. She expected no less, of course, the initial hearing had taken place this morning, and it had been quite difficult on everyone. Lucie still remembered the exhaustion on Thomas’ face. The look of resignation given by Alastair and Matthew. Judge Fairchild pursing her lips until she finally made a judgement. 

Lucie shook herself out of her thoughts. It wasn’t time to be dwelling in the trial, there wasn’t much that could be done now but look forward and uncover more of the mystery. Lucie gazed up at Jesse, propping up her elbow and resting her chin atop her hand. With that, he began talking. 

“I don’t know what to believe anymore. It always seemed so obvious, Mr. Fairchild and Mr. Carstairs were so clearly the only suspects, their DNA was found at the crime scene,” Jesse’s tone was even, as though he was only blurting facts from a textbook. “So how, could it be possible that so much doesn’t line up. Sure, they had motive, but from all the testimonies from their neighbors, it was against either of their characters to truly commit homicide, and there’s likely no possible way that they could have been at two places at one time. The evidence would have also been easy to plant at the scene of the crime.” He paused for a moment, before jumping down from his place on the desk before he began speaking once more, slower this time. “I think it’s highly likely that Mr. Fairchild and Mr. Carstairs were set up.” 

Lucie didn’t have time to think before the words flew from her mouth. “You could check the archives for anything detailing Mr. Sheol’s previous crimes, see who had any resentment towards Mr Sheol and the Fairchild’s and Carstairs’. Miss Lightwood made it exceptionally clear that she believed those crimes could have led to bitterness towards Mr Sheol.” 

Jesse nodded at that, clearly considering the following as a possibility. “You’re brilliant, Lucie! I’ll get Christopher- Mr. Lightwood- to help me search through the archives.” He spun on the heel of his boot, pausing before turning back to say, “I’m sorry, Miss Herondale, I shouldn’t have-” 

Lucie only smiled back, her regular, cheery smile that brought happiness to others. “It’s quite alright, Jesse. I’m certain we left all need for formalities when you began visiting every day.” Sunlight streamed through the window, turning the sides of her loose brown hair a brilliant gold. 

Jesse smiled back before turning completely and jogging to catch up with Christopher in the laboratory. 

~*^*~

Alastair Carstairs was at home at last. It didn’t feel welcoming, the small flat he had to himself seeming even smaller now. Oddly enough, the mundanity of the location that usually gave Alastair so much joy was lost on him, everything felt hollow, devoid of meaning. It didn’t matter anymore, not much did. Alastair almost laughed at the thought. Of all his family, he was the one to finally end up in prison, and on a set up as well! He knew his father, Elias Carstairs couldn’t possibly ever take care of the rest of the family, especially not with his baby brother, and certainly not with Cordelia. 

Oh, Cordelia. No matter how much Alastair had wanted to preserve his sister’s memory of his father, he still failed in the end. She knew now, how the sickness was a facade, how their father was a raging alcoholic. Alastair had failed his family, had ruined their name as one synonymous to murders and killers. 

A faint knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts. Alastair vaguely remembered opening the door to reveal Thomas Lightwood at the entrance, the sleeves of his button down shirt rolled up and a briefcase hanging by his side. With a quick smile, Thomas requested to come inside, a request to which Alastair politely obliged. There was no point to angering his only line of defence. Thomas stood in front of him, setting the briefcase onto a counter before beginning to speak. 

“As you know, the initial hearing went far better than expected and I now have a little over 9 days before the preliminary hearing.” Thomas cleared his throat, shifting slightly. “I just came to assure you that Detective Blackthorn has been going through the archives to search for what possibly is another suspect. Apparently, Matthe- I mean, Mr. Fairchild’s and Mr. Sheol’s therapist has reason to believe neither of you were responsible for the crime, that you may have been framed. With this evidence on our side, I do believe there’s a possibility we could win this case.” Thomas paused for a moment. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

The look in Thomas’ eyes was fierce, a blazing fire of passion. He truly believed in their innocence and was willing to fight for it. A small light at the end of this dark time. For the first time in a long time, Alastair allowed himself to hope. A hope that he would be home, safe at the end of this mess. It felt almost dream-like, a feeling Alastair had forgotten he knew to feel resurfacing in some sort of fantasy. Thomas Lightwood sure had a way with comforting people. 

Alastair nearly blurted out something idiotic, causing his face to twist and give him the appearance of someone who looked vaguely ill. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that.” There he was, being comforted by his attorney and going around thinking such absurd thoughts. 

Thomas gazed at him in concern, reaching out a hand. In a sudden lapse of judgement, Alastair clasped it in his own. It gave him strength, meaning. A fleeting, useless hope that maybe things would be sorted out. What Alastair hadn’t noticed that day was the sprouting of a second hope, an image of a future where he was happy. 

And maybe, after this trial was over, that hope could become a reality. 

~*^*~

“Hey, Lucie! It’s so nice to see you again!” Cordelia leaned into the frame of the camera, smiling at Lucie at the other side of the screen, though Lucie could tell she was hiding her exhaustion. She couldn’t blame Cordelia, her brother  _ was _ convicted of homicide, but all Lucie wanted to do was spill to her all the new information pertaining to the case even though she’d likely not be allowed to shadow the trial if she did. All she wanted to do was give her best friend peace of mind that her brother would be okay, but alas, she couldn’t risk losing her job, and by association, Cordelia’s only other link to the case. Family to the suspects may have had some idea of what happened, but not until the information was reported professionally. 

Lucie smiled back brightly. “It’s great to see you too, it’s been rather dreary here at the APS. Everything’s so dark and shrouded in mystery. I needed to hear your voice more often, Daisy.” Lucie leaned forward, resting her palm on her cheek with an overexaggerated sigh. “It’s so lonely here, absolutely no inspiration for the next addition of  _ The Beautiful Cordelia _ .” 

Cordelia let out a laugh, smiling genuinely for once. A smile without worry. “I’m quite certain  _ The Beautiful Cordelia _ can survive without any dashing gentleman or rouge highwaymen for the time being.” 

Lucie straightened in mock offense. “I’ll have you know that there was only one rouge highwayman and he was the estranged son of an earl! Perhaps I should skip the gentlemen for this particular installment to spite you. Make it about the Beautiful Cordelia’s journey to pick berries or something along those lines.” Lucie flashed a wicked grin. “Think about it, just me droning on and on about the harsh road and the sun beaming off the fruit and trees.”

Cordelia matched Lucie’s grin. “Well, it is your book, I guarantee you will be far more bored typing all those descriptions than I will skipping the occasional paragraph.” Lucie squinted her eyes, raising her chin at Cordelia’s smiling face on her laptop. 

“...Touche.” 

The topic quickly shifted from there, finally settling on the largest issue in the room; the muder trial. 

Cordelia tilted her head in concern, eyebrows drawing together. “How are they? Math and Alastair?” Lucie let out a defeated sigh. She had expected this of course, but that didn’t mean she had an answer prepared. And so, she winged it. 

“There isn’t much I can say about this, but rest assured that Matthew and Alastair are building their case. Defendant Lightwood is working diligently alongside Jes-” Lucie stumbled a bit, causing Cordelia to send her a quizzical gaze. Bouncing right back to where she left, Lucie continued. “-alongside Detective Blackthorn to uncover the truth. They’re doing their best and all we can do now is hope they find it in time for the preliminary hearing.” 

Though still looking worried, Cordelia seemed a bit more at ease by that answer. The two continued talking for a while longer, chatting into the wee hours of the evening. A loud knock was what finally ended the conversation, Jesse Blackthorn having ran halfway into Lucie’s office, a folder clenched in his hand. 

With a quick, “I have to go,” Lucie ended the call. 

~*^*~

“Detective Blackthorn!” 

The yell shook Jesse awake in a manner he hadn’t experienced since he’d slept in on a case once two years previous. He looked up to find lead forensic scientist, Christopher Lightwood, clutching a file folder at his side. He was panting as though he had ran all the way to the office, glasses askew and dust clinging on to his clothes. He placed the folder on Jesse’s desk, claiming, “I found the case file.” 

Jesse looked at the plain folder in shock. He hadn’t expected to have it in his possession so soon, the folder that could make or break this case. As Jesse stared in awe at the file, Kit continued speaking, detailing the events listed in the case. Jesse looked up to face Christopher, shooting him a quick, “Thank you,” before opening the case. 

The farther he read, the darker his expression got, the look of awe melting away into bitter recollection. Without a word, Jesse shut the case file, and ran to the first person he could think of, Lucie Herondale. 

~*^*~

#  Idris Weekly 

###  The Millionaire Murder: November 6, 2019 

  
By Lucie Herondale  
Journalist  


  
  


Greetings, Shadowhunters! If you are unaware, I’ve been following the case of the ‘Millionaire Murder’ and will be giving weekly updates as to any new information uncovered during this investigation. If you haven’t a clue of the background of this murder, I suggest you read my previous article on this case [here](https://i.postimg.cc/wvJ4KSC4/Screen-Shot-2020-06-24-at-3-31-06-PM.png) where I highlight important information in this case, as well as last week’s update [here](https://i.postimg.cc/13hts6VW/Screen-Shot-2020-06-24-at-3-32-10-PM.png) where I go through new developments in the case. Now that you are all caught up, I have quite a bit of exciting new info regarding the case. 

Early in this past week, I’ve had the privilege to attend the initial hearing of this trial where both suspects pleaded not guilty. There wasn’t much uncovered during or after the trial, and it looked as though both suspects were worried at the outcome. The preliminary hearing will take place in two days, both defendant and prosecutor presenting their evidence in a mini trial. If Judge Fairchild decides there is probable cause, prosecutor Charles Fairchild will file the information and the case continues to trial on the 13th of November. 

I doubt the evidence for probable cause will be sufficient though, Detective Blackthorn having found a case file that puts the blame onto a separate suspect, and makes it seem as though Mr Fairchild and Mr Carstairs had been framed. The facts of this case are as such. 

On April 25, 1995, Rupert Blackthorn was shot to death by his father-in-law, Benedict Lightwood, leaving his wife, Tatiana Blackthorn alone to take care of her unborn son. Though it was assumed that the case had been solved, Benedict Lightwood succumbing to his own pent up rage, recent news has brought us to think otherwise. After an anonymous source hacked into Belial Sheol’s bank account, we have reason to believe that Benedict was paid off to commit this crime. 

In light of this new information, lead Detective Jesse Blackthorn has made a statement claiming that, “Tatiana Blackthorn likely knows the most about the events of this case.” He claims this is due to her long standing resentment towards Belial. “If there is one word I would use to describe my mother it would be vengeful.” He went on to say that once Tatiana had a grudge, it was very difficult to see her letting go of it, and that he himself would be questioning Tatiana to gather a clearer picture of this case.

This trail had finally led to, what I hope is, the last piece of this puzzle in the form of Tatiana Blackthorn. I will be sure to tell you all about what else is uncovered in this harrowing quest to discover the truth next Wednesday. 

~*^*~

It was October 19, 2019, blood soaking through the fabric clinging onto the woman’s figure. It had been done, the person who brought pain and suffering to her family was finally gone. There was only one thing else she’d needed to do. From the bloodied satchel hanging from her waist, the figure produced a silver flask and a strand of hair she’d swiped this morning. The Fairchild boy had always been very oblivious, and the woman bet he wouldn’t even notice it missing until it was too late. The Carstairs on the other hand was far more difficult to produce, but the woman had waited a lifetime for this opportunity and she refused to waste it now. 

She placed both items in the penthouse, a penthouse bought out of the blood and misery of others. Oh, yes, the woman would enjoy this far too much. To bring pain upon Belial, who had killed whom she loved, and the Herondales, Fairchilds, and Carstairs, who had assisted in taking away the last remaining bit of her love. They had taken her family and she was surely going to return the favor. 

The woman peeled back bloodied gloves and clothing, throwing them into the crackling fire of the still lit fireplace. She’d had years to plan this, and she refused to be caught now. A smile danced on her face as she put on her regular clothing, stuffing tissue into the too large shoes, men’s shoes. She walked out of the flat, bag in hand and lips curled. Oh, it almost felt too easy, too good to be true.

But Tatiana Blackthorn was sure to escape this mess uncaught, it was too perfect of a crime.

~*^*~

Lucie spun in her chair once more, body humming with energy. They were to question Tatiana Blackthorn later that evening, thanks to some helpful last minute guidance through Magnus Bane. 

“Thanks, Magnus,” Jesse exclaimed once more, ending the call at last. Only a few minutes after hearing about the Rupert Blackthorn murder, Detective Blackthorn had received an email from Magnus Bane, Brooklyn’s best forensic scientist, containing multiple bank statements from Belial to Benedict Lightwood from around the time of Rupert’s death, leading to Belial having likely manipulated Benedict Lightwood to kill his father in law. Reports had already shown Benedict Lightwood to be senile and extremely power hungry, it wouldn’t have taken much to convince him to murder Rupert. the

Jesse turned back to face Lucie, shooting her a grim, “Are you ready?” They were headed to meet with Tatiana Blackthorn and ask her about any other witnesses or victims of Belial Sheol’s murderous rampage. 

Lucie could feel Jesse’s discomfort in the car, though he tried so hard to mask it. All his restlessness made sense, he hadn’t seen his mother in years. The more she thought about it, the worse it seemed for him. He was on his way to his mother’s house, not by choice but instead on official business. He was on his way to his mother’s house, knowing he could walk out of that house, knowing that his mother might be a murderer. Lucie could sense there was something else, something sinister brewing beneath the surface. Something only family could cause. 

Not a moment had passed from that thought to Lucie grabbing Jesse’s outstretched hand to assist her out of the passenger seat. They had arrived at an old home, walls cracking and peeling from the years past. Lucie could see moss clinging onto damp, shady corners of the home, vines circling the iron gates near the front entrance. 

The two took cautious steps towards the house, wild flowers that would have once been beautiful, but now more closely resembled weeds, were being crushed under their shoes. They had made it to the home of Tatiana Blackthorn. Lucie could hardly breath, the air growing thick as more wild plants grew in the increasingly narrow path to Jesse’s old home. Lucie had come to expect something along those lines, of course she did. The neighbors had whispered about the mangy old house for ages. Rumors had even begun to circulate that the house was haunted by a Victorian ghost. 

Lucie looked at Jesse, to the door in front of her, and then back to Jesse, giving him a sharp nod. Jesse raised his hand, took a breath, and knocked once on the door. 

Twice. By that point, he’d taken a deep breath and raised his hand a last time to knock once more only for his fist to connect with nothing. There, inside of the old, broken home was Tatiana Blackthorn adorning a yellow sundress. The last mystery in a twisted case. 

Mrs. Blackthorn said nothing, her face revealing none of her intentions either. Lucie glanced at Jesse uneasily as he began speaking. His expression was cold, a ghost of the lively person she had known at the APS. It was as though Tatiana had the uncanny ability to suck the soul out of everything within a 10 meter radius of her. 

“Mrs. Blackthorn, I believe you were already informed that you would be questioned today as the sole known witness of Belial Sheol’s murder rampage in the mid-90s. As you must be aware, Mr Sheol was recently murdered and all clues point to you knowing who might have had the means and motive to kill Mr Sheol and frame Mr Matthew Fairchild and Mr Alastair Carstairs of the crime,” Jesse’s tone was eerily calm, bordering on robotic. “Now, may Lucie Herondale and I please come in to commence this meeting?” 

~*^*~

Jesse Blackthorn was attempting to suppress thinly veiled rage throughout the entire meeting with his mother. He knew how shrewd she could be, how calculating and cold. The moment he knew she was involved, Jesse had suspected her of committing the crime. Now all he had to do was gather evidence. 

Jesse pushed back a snide remark, leaning forward to face his mother. How messed up this situation had become, pitting mother against son like this. Jesse nearly laughed at the genius behind this. The ultimate test of where his loyalties lied. 

“And did you, Mrs. Blackthorn, hold any ill will towards Belial Sheol, his company, or any of his family?” 

Tatiana didn’t budge, emotion gone from her voice when she admitted, “Of course, he murdered my husband. The old devil deserved what came to him.” She didn’t bother lying, didn’t want to. Jesse had seen this far too often in his childhood, once Tatiana had gotten what she had wanted, there was no point in what happened to her anymore. As long as the other person was hurt doing it. Jesse didn’t realize how awful that mindset truly was until he ran away. 

He put up a face of cold indifference as he asked one final question, one he already knew the answer to. Jesse could feel Lucie’s concerned gaze, but elected to ignore it, instead only focusing on the next few words. 

“Are you claiming you had a hand in the murder of Belial Sheol?” 

And Tatiana said yes. It was a cold and unforgiving yes that dropped the temperature in the room a few degrees. She admitted to setting up Alastair Carstairs and Matthew Fairchild due to their family’s position in helping Jesse run away. She said it so simply, so matter of factly, as though there weren’t two lives about to be ruined had Jesse not found the clues. The only addition Tatiana had to her confession was that she’d, “expected you to do better, Jesse.”

Jesse forced himself to cool the fire burning in his veins as he handcuffed his mother and read out her rights. “Tatiana Blackthorn, you are under arrest for the first degree murder of Belial Sheol, and the attempted framing of Matthew Fairchild and Alastair Carstairs. You have the right to remain silence, anything you say can and will be used against you-” 

Jesse droned on, his voice dripping with malice. The ride back to the station was far more quiet, even Lucie deciding to not say a word. The preliminary hearing was there in only two days, and Jesse was positive that there would be no need for further trial. He had a confession, and Tatiana Blackthorn would remain in prison for a long time. 

~*^*~

#  Idris Weekly 

###  The Millionaire Murder: November 12, 2019 

  
By Lucie Herondale  
Journalist  


  
  


Greetings, Shadowhunters! The past week has brought the end of the case of ‘The Millionaire Murder’, a case I’ve had the privilege to follow and document these past few weeks. Now, if you are unaware of any of the background to this case, I would like to direct you to my first article which can be found [here](https://i.postimg.cc/wvJ4KSC4/Screen-Shot-2020-06-24-at-3-31-06-PM.png). To catch up on any old developments in this case, I would like to direct to my two previous articles [here](https://i.postimg.cc/13hts6VW/Screen-Shot-2020-06-24-at-3-32-10-PM.png) and [here](https://i.postimg.cc/KcT7N7bf/Screen-Shot-2020-06-24-at-3-44-34-PM.png). Now that you have been caught up, I am glad to share the final installment in this case. 

Early in the week, I had the ability of joining Detective Jesse Blackthorn in investigating the final piece of this convoluted puzzle, the single witness to Mr. Sheol’s killings in the mid-90s, Tatiana Blackthorn. Once we had visited Mrs. Blackthorn’s home, she had quickly admitted to the murder and framing Mr. Fairchild and Mr. Carstairs claiming that it was because Belial Sheol was responsible for the death of her husband Rupert Blackthorn. Mrs. Blackthorn even went on record stating she, “knew a hit to the Fairchild’s and Carstairs' would most hurt the people who assisted [her] son in running away.” Detective Blackthorn has refused to comment. 

Due to this confession and further evidence found in the Blackthorn home, Judge Fairchild ruled against probable cause that either Mr. Carstairs and Mr. Fairchild murdered Belial Sheol, setting them free of all charges. Mrs. Blackthorn however is facing life imprisonment, though she doesn’t seem to care much. In her official police statement, she claimed, “I can face a lifetime in prison as long as my enemies have suffered.” 

I am thankful everyday that woman is now in prison, I swear the temperature used to drop whenever she came into the room. Anyway, I’m so glad you decided to stick around as I shadowed the case of ‘The Millionaire Murder’! Until the next case, Lucie out! 

~*^*~

Lucie finished the sentence with a flourish as the noise raged on. She had single handedly chosen the absolute worst time to procrastinate writing her final article, but that's besides the point. Lucie shut the laptop and headed towards the entrance. 

After this case had finally been solved, Lucie had somehow been able to convince the APS to host a party, though she’d somehow missed that it would be the same day her last article was due. And to think Lucie was doing so well by writing all her essays beforehand. Alas, she entered the crowded room filled with the people involved in the case, besides Tatiana, of course. Lucie listened to the music thrumming from the overhead speakers, people partially shouting to be heard over the music. 

She could see Matthew by the drinks, talking with Anna. Her gaze moved forward to quickly spot Alastair and Thomas in the crowd, accidentally hearing a snippet of their conversation. 

_ “-like to join me tomorrow?!”  _

Alastair seemed to pause for a moment, likely shocked by the prospect of being asked out, before yelling back, “ _ Yes!” _

Lucie smiled before heading back to the center of the room, or attempting to as a ball of red hair rushed towards her. Having recognized said ball of red hair, Lucie ran forward as well, both catching each other in a warm embrace. 

“Lucie, it’s so great to see you again!” Cordelia smiled at her best friend, releasing Lucie from her tight grip. “I have so much to tell!” 

Lucie sent back a bright smile. It had been so long since they’d chatted face to face, and Lucie wasn’t going to miss a single moment of it. The two chatted for a long while beneath the colored lights Christopher found in the back of the supply cupboard, until Cordelia excused herself to talk to Alastair. As the bass boomed over the floor, Lucie was suddenly reminded of something, turning multiple corners until she reached an office, its entrance ajar. 

She knocked twice on the doorframe, a lopsided smile settling on her lips. “Not much for parties, eh?” Jesse looked up from where he was shuffling through the last few pieces of paperwork left from the case. Lucie took that as an invitation to enter the office, taking a seat at the chair opposite Jesse's. 

“I guess you could say that. Parties just aren’t my thing, I guess you could blame my mother for that,” the last few words came out a bit more bitter than the first. 

Lucie tilted her head in concen, eyebrows drawn together. “How are you dealing with this whole case? It must be rather awful for you.” 

“It’s alright, it truly is. I always knew my mother was vengeful, at least now I know to what degree.” The look on Jesse’s face made Lucie think of something stupid, quite possibly the dumbest idea she’d come up with thus far, but it was too late, the words already had escaped her.

“Would you like to join me for tea tomorrow afternoon?” 

Lucie regretted those words as soon as they escaped her mouth, but the damage was already done. Had she ruined everything? Her mind raced with possibilities of rejection, of never being able to speak with Jesse again due to sheer embarrassment, until she looked at him. Lucie saw Jesse’s face shift to a smile, a small one, but it was there, clear as day, brightening up the atmosphere of the room.

“I think I’d like to take you up on that offer.”

**Author's Note:**

> TimeToTravel: Hello! Thanks so much for reading! It was a pleasure to write this story alongside my best friend and parabatai, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it!
> 
> LivingInTheNever: Hi everyone! Thank you for reading! This is my first fanfic, so it feels right to have done this with my parabatai. We had a lot fun creating this, and I hope that we were able to entertain you guys for a while!


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